Firefighters called to seven chimney fires in seven days

Last Friday morning, firefighters from Bromyard were called to a chimney fire at a property in Bishops Frome, near Worcester.

The next day, crews attended a chimney fire at a business in Station Road in Eckington, a woodburner chimney fire at a house in Cosford Close in Redditch and a chimney fire at the Red Lion Hotel in Weobley.

On Sunday, crews from Hereford extinguished a fire in a woodburning stove in Dinmarsh, while yesterday, crews were called to two chimney fires involving woodburning stoves, at Stone, near Kidderminster, and at Cotheridge, near Worcester.

Station Commander Alan Haley, from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service described the trend as “concerning”.

He said: “We do tend to see an increase in the number of chimney fires as the weather turns colder but this equates to a chimney fire a day over the last week.

“The effects of a chimney fire can be devastating and we want to do all that we can to highlight the risks and ensure that those who have real fires or woodburners are taking the right safety precautions.”

He added many fires can be prevented by having chimneys swept regularly and burning the correct fuel, and urged people to book an appointment with an approved chimney sweep without delay to ensure their chimney is safe to use.

A list of approved chimney sweeps operating locally and further chimney fire safety advice is available from hwfire.org.uk.